Guardians of Ga'Hoole: The Second Generation
by Shaded-Strike
Summary: Years have passed since Coryn joined the Great Tree. The Pure Ones still live on with Stryker as their High Tyto. Nyra the Second is the daughter of the High Tyto and Nyra the First. She is nothing like her parents. On hold until I find my book one.
1. Nyra the Second

Disclaimer: I only own my characters that I invented in the story. All other property belongs respeectfully to Kathryn Lasky.

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A/N: Okay. This is my first Guardians of Ga'Hoole fic. I hope you like it!

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Guardians of Ga'Hoole

"Tell another story, Mum, please!" pleaded a young Barn Owl to her mum.

"Alright, darling," replied her mum, who's white face rivalled the moon and a scar ran on a slant, "There was once a great Tyto Alba known as Kludd. He was a noble owl who led the Pure Ones. He was fighting a glorious battle against the evil Guardians of Ga'Hoole. But alas, he was defeated. You know what happens next, dear, why don't you tell me?"

"Alright Mum!" chirped the owlet happily, "Then the late High Tyto's mate's egg hatched, and her owlet, Nyroc, held great promise for the Pure Ones. But Nyroc was a rebel. He betrayed the Pure Ones. Two years passed. Lieutenant Stryker became High Tyto and Nyra the Second, a genius and a prodigy, hatched under an eclipse."

"Very good, Nyra," praised the little owlet's mum.

Nyra the Second was flying at dawn, tracking a mouse. Although she had only gained her flight feathers last week, she was already an experienced flier. She was fed by her mother legends of the Pure Ones.

She swivelled her head and easily picked up the mouse's heartbeat. Now she saw the mouse. Her talons outstretched, Nyra the Second prepared to make her kill, but a great shree stopped her. She made a graceful turn and followed the noise.

A fir tree was the source of the screams. Nyra lighted down on a branch and looked down on a hollow. What she saw next made her gizzard lurch. Another Barn Owl, a Tyto Alba like herself had his wings spread, covering the hollow.

"Never. The youngest one only hatched out last night," the strange Barn Owl was saying to another Barn Owl.

"No matter. This forest belongs to the Pure Ones," said the Barn Owl who Nyra the Second knew to be her own father, High Tyto, Stryker, "Step aside or it will be sure death."

Nyra couldn't believe her ear slits. These vile words were coming out of her own father's beak!

"Not on your life, you flying rat!" shreed the other Barn Owl.

Nyra saw her father lunge at the strange Barn Owl and kill him. Nyra was aghast. Had her own father, her noble father in all of the Pure One legends, just killed an innocent owl? But Stryker wasn't finished. He stepped over the Barn Owl's corpse and into the hollow. More shrieking was heard. Stryker flew out of the hollow. When he was out of sight, Nyra forced herself into the hollow. She felt like her gizzard had dropped to her talons. Another Barn Owl, presumably the other one's mate, lay dead on the floor of the hollow. Nyra took another step forward. She saw two owlets: one of them looked around Nyra's age. This owlet held in his talons another owlet who looked only a day old. He looked at Nyra and froze.

"Another Pure One," he hissed.

"I… I can't believe my own father…" whispered Nyra

The owlet looked at her strangely.

"You saw him make the kill?" asked the owlet.

"I…" whispered Nyra, "I'm so sorry…"

The owlet looked at her with dark eyes. "Why? You are a Pure One as well. This is what you're expected to do."

"You mean," stammered Nyra, "They all do this… They all murder?"

"Yes."

"Mum lied to me. She told me we were beasts of honour."

"That is a lie."

Nyra remained silent for a moment. She looked at the owlet. He had deep talon marks in his wings and his stomach.

"I will never murder," said Nyra, "I will leave the Pure Ones. They mean nothing to me. What they do is terrible."

"If you are leaving," said the owlet, "Please take my sister with you."

"What about you?"

"I… I think… I'm going to die here."

"No!"

The owlet put his sister in Nyra's talons and fell onto his back. He was indeed dying.

"My name is Garnet. Tell Jade about me at her First Meat-On-Bones Ceremony," coughed the owlet. He breathed once, twice, and no more.

Nyra held Jade close.

_I vow to avenge Garnet. Never again shall I return to the Pure Ones. I will make them crumble. This, I promise,_ thought Nyra.

Nyra stepped out of the hollow into the bright sunlight and lifted off with Jade in her talons. She flew toward The Barrens and began to plot.

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That's all for chapter one! Please review!


	2. Echo

Guardians of Ga'Hoole

Me: OK time for the disclaimer!

Otulissa: Who would like to say the disclaimer?

Fritha: (raises a talon) Me! Oh, me! Please Otulissa?

Buck: No! Pick me! Pick me!

Otulissa: Raise a talon please, Buck.

Fritha: Yes, Buck, raise a talon!

Buck: (raises talon and shoots Fritha a glare) Me! Pick me!

Fritha: Why would Otulissa pick an owl who believes in stupid dire wolves?

Otulissa: Now, now, let's maintain a civil discourse--

Buck: DIRE WOLVES ARE REAL!

Fritha: Are not!

Buck: Are too!

Otulissa: Class--

Fritha: Are not!

Buck: Are too!

Otulissa: FRITHA! BUCK! QUIET OR IT'S A FLINT MOP!

Buck: ...

Fritha: Sorry...

Otulissa: Now Wensel, could you please say the disclaimer?

Buck: Lucky Wensel...

Fritha: Yeah.

Wensel: Shaded-Strike does not own Guardians of Ga'Hoole, only her own characters.

Me: Thanks.

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Chapter 2

Far away from the fleeing Nyra and Jade, a young Barn Owl was peering over the edge of the hollow. He lifted his wings and shook them. It was a beautiful night. Full moon, no clouds: perfect. How it was tempting to go and fly. The owlet looked around. His mother and father were in the parliament hollow, and Mrs. Plithiver was in his Aunts' hollow. He opened his wings… and jumped.

The owlet knew immediately that he had made a mistake. His da would be so mad. He could imagine it.

"Echo!" he imagined his father scream, "How many times have I told you to NEVER, EVER, try flying before your flight feathers come!"

But as Echo plummeted toward the ground, he knew there would be no reprimand.

Mrs. Plithiver slithered into Echo's hollow. She did not sense the owlet's presence.

"Echo? Echo?" hissed the snake. There was no answer.

Fearing for the worst, Mrs. P slithered toward the parliament hall.

Echo squeezed his eyes shut and preparing for death. Suddenly, something caught him in its talons.

"Thank you! Glaux bless you!" said Echo. He looked up at his saver and screamed. It was a falcon.

Mrs. Plithiver burst into the parliament.

A Barn Owl gave her a funny look.

"Mrs. P!" he said, "What are you doing here?"

"Coryn!" hissed the snake, "Echo is gone!"

Coryn felt his gizzard drop to his talons. He beckoned his mate with a talon and hurried out of the Parliament Hall, but it was too late. No trace of Echo was found.

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That's the end of chapter two! Please review!


	3. The falcon, the scar, and Cyrano

Disclaimer: No. I don't own Guardians of Ga'Hoole.

Guardians of Ga'Hoole: The Second Generation

Chapter 3

Nyra the Second flew toward the Barrens with Jade in her talons. She had to find a place to light down and feed Jade. She spotted a cleft in a boulder. She flew into it. But someone was already there. It too held an owlet in its talons. But Nyra was sure that the falcon was not going to feed the owlet.

Nyra saw the owlet clearly. Its face was rigid with terror. The falcon lifted the owlet up to its beak and—

Nyra set Jade down and attacked the falcon. The owlet was dropped in the process. The falcon's talons slashed Nyra's wing. She slashed back, but missed.

"FLY!" she screamed at the owlet. But the owlet didn't budge.

The falcon kicked Nyra out of the hollow. She opened her wings and caught herself. The falcon flew out of the cleft and attacked, but Nyra was ready. The falcon slashed at Nyra and the owl caught the falcon's talon. The other talon slashed at her and Nyra caught it too. The falcon pecked her shoulder. Nyra winced but kept her hold. The falcon attacked her throat this time. Nyra pulled away, but not fast enough. The falcon pushed her to the ground and held her down with a talon. The bird of prey slashed her face on a slant. The falcon began to lower its beak onto her neck when an explosion of an owl collided with the falcon. The huge bird toppled to the ground and lay still.

Nyra got up. Standing over the dead falcon was a huge Whiskered Screech. It turned to Nyra.

"Will you be alright there, young'un?" he asked.

Nyra nodded.

"My name's Cyrano!" boomed the Screech, "You got a name?"

"Um…" stammered Nyra, "I'm Nyra."

Cyrano's gaze turned dark. "Nyra?"

"Yes. I'm Nyra," said the owlet.

"Pure One!" hissed Cyrano, "I just saved the life of a filthy Pure One! And the chick of the High Tyto, no less!"

"No!" screamed Nyra, "I ran from the Pure Ones! My mum lied to me! She said we were beasts of honour!"

Cyrano laughed. "Beasts of honour indeed!" he said, "Even if you ran from the Pure Ones, they would track you! And your face… a scar just like your mum… and Coryn."

"I know who Coryn is!" said Nyra.

"The whole owl world knows Coryn! He's the heir of Hoole! Don't you know anything?" said Cyrano.

"I… I know Coryn," said the owlet from the falcon's talons, "He's my father…"

"You're Echo?" said Cyrano in awe, staring at the owlet inside the nook in the rock.

Echo nodded. He turned to Nyra. "Then… You're my aunt…"

Nyra blinked. She was an aunt?

"What in Glaux's name are you doing out here?" asked Cyrano.

Echo looked at his talons. "I… fell out of the nest and the falcon caught me."

"Why didn't you fly when I told you to?" asked Nyra.

"I… I don't know how yet…"

Nyra suddenly remembered. "Jade!" she screamed.

Nyra tried to rise but the pain in her left wing made it impossible. She waddled over to the rock and forced herself into the air.

"What do you think you're doing?" said Cyrano, "You're going to hurt yourself!"

Nyra managed to get into the nook. Echo took a step back. Nyra stared at him.

"I'm not going to hurt you," she said.

Nyra found a worm in the cleft and offered it to Jade. The tiny owlet grabbed it and ate it hungrily.

Cyrano came into the nook and stared at Jade.

"Who's hatchling is that?" he asked.

Nyra looked at her talons. "My father killed her parents. After he left I flew into the hollow and her brother told me to take care of her before he died."

Cyrano realized that deep in this owlet, who was raised as a Pure One, was too kind to be a murderer, very similar to Coryn. Her brother.

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That's chapter three!


	4. Attacked!

Chapter four

About a week had passed. Echo looked at Nyra as she slept. The terrible scratch the falcon had given her had closed up but it would definitely leave a scar. She did look a lot like his father, Coryn. Echo switched his gaze over to Cyrano, the Whiskered Screech who had saved he and Nyra's lives. He was a pretty worn owl and his beak was covered in black smudge.

_Maybe he's a collier, _thought the little Barn Owl, _like da and Soren._

Echo then looked at the little tiny owlet that Nyra had brought with her to the Barrens. Echo gazed out of the hollow that all of them had settled into. He couldn't see the Great Ga'Hoole tree at all. He sighed deeply.

"You want to go home, don't you, young'un?" said Cyrano.

Echo nodded.

"Well we're stuck here until you and the owlet learn to fly."

"But that won't be for a long time! My parents will think I have died!" protested Echo.

"We could send a message with someone, but I haven't seen any Guardians for a while now. We could find a forest fire, the colliering chaw are usually collecting coals."

Echo blinked. Cyrano sure knew a lot about the Great Tree. Had he been there before? Maybe Cyrano was a Guardian… but why would he leave the tree? Echo didn't get the chance to ask.

"Good night," yawned Nyra. Echo tensed. He was still nervous about Nyra after all that his father had told him about the Pure Ones. Nyra started chattering, "I'm hungry. Maybe we could go out and hunt! I'm sure Jade's starving! Isn't it her First Meat Ceremony? Wouldn't it be fantastic if I brought back a huge rabbit? It could feed us for days!"

"I'll go hunt young'un, you stay here," hooted Cyrano.

Nyra nodded as the Screech flew out of the hollow. Echo pretended to fall back to sleep, but Nyra started talking to him.

"So…" said Nyra, "What's life like at the great Ga'Hoole tree? It's forbidden for the Pure Ones, and seeing as I've been raised in their ranks, I have no idea what it's all about."

"Well…" mumbled Echo, "It's very organized. My father's the king. The chaws are all very hardworking… My great-uncle's is the ryb the colliering chaw."

"Chaw? Ryb?" asked Nyra, cocking her head to the side.

Echo sighed. _Great Glaux! _he thought, _explaining Ga'Hoole is going to take forever!_

"A chaw is a special group of owls that all have the same talents," explained Echo, "There's the colliering chaw, the navigation chaw… there are more, but I can't remember them all. The ryb is the chaw's leader, like a teacher."

Nyra's face fell. "Oh."

"What's wrong?" asked Echo.

"It's just… I was hoping it was more of a free country, with just normal owls. I don't think I want to go there. It's not right for me," sighed Nyra.

"Why not?" demanded Echo, "It's the best place in the Kingdoms!"

"I don't know…" said Nyra, "I know you want to go home, and I don't really want to leave Cyrano, since I know he'll protect me for who I am, not because I paid him to or forced him to. He's kind of like the uncle I never had. I like the feeling of having an uncle. I don't want that to go. I guess I'll go to the Great Tree with you. Maybe I'll like it there."

Jade suddenly awoke.

"I'm hungry!" she announced.

"We just have to wait until Cyrano comes back," said Nyra softly.

Suddenly Echo was lifted up by some strange owl's talons, as were Nyra and Jade.

"Help!" screeched Jade.


	5. Past Sight and the Poisoned Claws

**Moonstar of FireClan: **Thanks for the great idea! I love it! XD! Feel very special because you cured my writers' block! (Gives virtual plushie of Theo)

Thanks for your previous reviews in other chapters! That means you guys: **Wildwhisker**, **darth-vadar-was-framed**, **Queen Siv**, **Mistytail's Hope**, and **Moonstar of FireClan.**

Ideas for my Warriors fic are appreciated! And needed… much…

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Disclaimer:

Phineas: Down here!

Me: Did someone say something?

Phineas: Here!

Me??? Where is that voice coming from?

Phineas: I'M DOWN HERE YOU COMPLETE SENSELESS FOOL! DON'T PYGMY OWLS GET ANY RESPECT THESE DAYS? (attacks)

Me: AHHHHHHHHHH!

Hoole: Wow. I thought I got it bad when I asked if he was a female.

Grank: (low whistle) That pygmy certainly packs a punch.

Svenka: (trembling)

Emerilla: …whoa…

Theo: Shaded-Strike does not own Guardians of Ga'Hoole, and this chapter is dedicated to **Moonstar of FireClan.**

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Chapter five

"Help!" screeched a voice.

Cyrano stopped dead in his tracks.

"That sounded like Jade," he murmured. He wheeled around in the air and returned to the cleft that he and the owlets were staying in, only to find it empty.

"Where are they?" he hissed. He looked on the ground, and didn't see them. Nyra certainly wasn't strong enough to carry both Echo and Jade.

The Screech looked to the horizon. He saw two specks of owls. He decided to follow them, and to ambush them when they didn't expect it.

He flew silently a few hundred feet away from them, not letting them out of his sight. He felt a fierce flame of determination swell in his gizzard. Long ago, he had owlets of his own. He loved them dearly as well as his beautiful mate, Marigold. He had five owlets at the time: There was Flikka, a little ball of energy, Cydan, Cyrano's mini-me with a bold attitude, Sleeq, his shy son, Natanya, his gorgeous daughter, and his quirky adoptive son, a Tyto Alba that was he and Marigold's first owlet that they found alone on the border of Ambala. His name was Jarren.

It hurt Cyrano just to think of his owlets. As fate would have it, one winter day, Marigold caught a sickness that not even the flying snakes of Ambala could cure. She died later on, in winter, and Cyrano was distraught. It affected not only Cyrano, but all the owlets as well.

Sleeq had died of cold and misery only a few days after Marigold's death. Natanya followed soon after. Cydan tried to fly away from their hollow and he broke his neck. Flikka refused to move or eat after her favourite brother, Cydan, died. Jarren's personality shifted immensely. He became a cold owl that hated life in general and just flew away one day.

Echo reminded Cyrano of Sleeq, Jade made the Screech think of Flikka, and Nyra made him remember Natanya.

He continued on after the two owls. He remembered quite painfully the last thing that Jarren told him.

_Flashback_

"_Father," asked the little Tyto Alba._

"_What is it now, Jarren?" growled Cyrano miserably._

"_Does the Great Tree have better medics than here?" asked Jarren._

"_Yes," replied Cyrano, "Why?"_

_Jarren's eyes turned cold. Very cold. He turned away from his father, fluffing up his feathers. In a bitter tone, he said:_

"_Then it's all your fault. They're all gone because of you. Flikka, Sleeq, Natanya, Cydan, and mother… It's your fault they are gone."_

"_What?" shreed his father, "What makes you say that? Show some respect for your father!"_

"_Fool," sneered Jarren, "If you hadn't gotten us kicked out of Ga'Hoole, this never would've happened. Goodbye, father, there is another owl out there that deserves me more than you."_

_End flashback_

The Screech regretted every word he had scorned Jarren with. He closed in on the two owls that had the owlets in their talons.

"LET GO OF THEM!" shreed the Screech furiously.

He dived toward them, talons outstretched. He collided with one of the owls, the one that held Nyra in its talons. Nyra escaped the enemy owl's hold and opened her wings. She caught herself in midair and spiraled upwards. She surveyed the scene, looking for the best strategy.

Cyrano had killed the owl that had kidnapped her and was heading for the other one, but it had already fled.

"We can't let them get away!" screeched Cyrano. He immediately flew after the other owl. Nyra flew after them. She had to get Jade and Echo back.

Nyra caught up to Cyrano. The retreating owl was headed toward a deep canyon.

"Sprink!" cursed Cyrano, "St. Aggies!"

Nyra's mother had told her about St. Aggies. The Pure Ones had dominated it a long time ago, and Wortmore was in charge of it right now.

_That's odd, _thought Nyra, _The owl holding Echo and Jade is not a Tyto. Why would the Pure Ones recruit owls that aren't Barn Owls?_

They reached the canyon. Cyrano began to descent.

"Wait!" yelled Nyra, "It's not a good idea! The Pure Ones are in control of this place! It would be suicidal to try and get in!"

Cyrano turned in flight and led Nyra to a wilted tree that they both perched in.

"Not anymore," said Cyrano, "Wortmore was killed."

"Nyra's eyes widened. "Really? When?"

"It was just before I found you, Jade, and Echo," replied the Screech, "I was selling some coals to a rogue smith when it happened."

"You're a collier?" asked Nyra. Her mother had spoken about them and said that the Great Tree had the finest colliers, like her 'dreadful' uncle Soren.

"Yes," replied Cyrano, "But let's get back on topic. Some crazed owl by the name of Finny recaptured St. Aggies and now leads it."

Cyrano suddenly picked up a sound.

"Hide!" he hissed at Nyra, and he pushed her off the tree.

Nyra fell into a bush. Obeying Cyrano's orders, she stayed put and looked up at the tree. A Snowy Owl came up behind Cyrano. The Screech turned around and looked the Snowy straight in the eyes.

"Well, well," sneered the Snowy, "Call me crazed eh? Aren't you the Screech that was banished from Ga'Hoole? I've heard of you."

_Cyrano? _thought Nyra, _Banished from Ga'Hoole? Why?_

"I see word of me has spread like fire," said Cyrano, his voice very hostile, "Yes, I was banished from Ga'Hoole. What's it to you?"

"You were that owl that secretly was leaking information to another organization, were you not?" said the Snowy called Finny, "Tsk tsk tsk… Betraying Ga'Hoole is not a wise thing to do."

"Yes," sneered Cyrano, "I am that very owl. The organization is regaining strength and soon we will make our stand."

Nyra's eyes widened. So he _was_ from Ga'Hoole, but he betrayed it. To who? What organization? It couldn't be the Pure Ones, they only accepted Barn Owls.

"You killed Hiwerr, my strongest lieutenant," said Finny, "You will pay, and your organization, the Poisoned Talons, shall fall."

Finny flew at Cyrano, but he caught her talons and tried to put her off balance. He thought she would concentrate on getting free, but she didn't. Finny's beak lunged at the Screech's face and she tore out one of his eyes.

With a deafening screech, Cyrano pulled away from the Snowy, blood dripping from the torn eye. Nyra shut her eyes in fear. She heard the flailing of wings and then a cry of victory coming from the Snowy. A few seconds later, she opened her eyes. Finny was gone.

Carefully, Nyra came out of the little shrub that she was concealed in only to see a bloodied owl motionless on the ground. Shivering, Nyra approached the owl's body, hoping that Cyrano was not dead. To her relief, his eyes were still open.

"Ny… ra…" whispered the Screech.

"W-will you be okay?" asked Nyra shakily.

"Look into my eyes, Nyra," said the Screech softly.

Nyra stared down into Cyrano's remaining tawny-colored eye.

"You… you have it, don't you…" it was more of a statement than a question.

"What?" asked Nyra, "I have what?"

"Past Sight… The ability to view another owl's thoughts and past…"

"Wh-what are you talking about? Past Sight?" asked Nyra, "I've never heard of something like that."

"Look at my eyes Nyra, and you will see what I don't have the energy to say…"

Nyra looked hard at Cyrano. She felt kind of shaky all of a sudden, and her breathing slowed and she began to see images in the owl's eyes.

_Past Sight_

_Nyra saw a young Eastern Screech owl. He had his ear slits against a clump of roots. It seems as though he was listening in to a conversation he was not supposed to hear._

_Suddenly, Nyra was able to hear what he was hearing._

"_What do we do about the Poisoned Talons?" asked the voice of a Barn Owl, "They were attacked by a group of Pure Ones and some other group of enemies of theirs and they think it was the Guardians of Ga'Hoole."_

"_Liars," hissed the young Screech._

"_Maybe we should have them sign a treaty," another Barn Owl said, "I think that that would be the best thing to do."_

Soren? _thought Nyra, _Like my uncle?

"_A treaty would be nice," muttered the Screech, silently thanking the second Barn Owl._

"_Cyrano!" whispered another Screech from behind the one that was eavesdropping._

_Nyra's eyes widened. THAT was Cyrano?_

"_Yes?" replied the younger Cyrano, "What is it, Marigold?"_

Marigold…_ thought Nyra, _She must be his mate.

"_I've been feeling a little bit under the weather lately," churred Marigold._

_Cyrano churred too. "Well obviously dear, you ARE in the weather chaw, after all!"_

Weather chaw…_ thought Nyra, _Didn't Echo say that chaws were from the Great Ga'Hoole tree? And Cyrano told that Snowy that he betrayed Ga'Hoole, so he must have been there for some time.

_Suddenly Marigold's expression turned serious._

"_As I was saying," said Marigold, "In the state I'm in, I won't be able to teach Cydan or Flikka to fly. Can you go do that?"_

_Cyrano nodded and followed Marigold up to a hollow. Nyra automatically followed them. They entered the hollow and saw five owlets: four Screeches and a Tyto Alba._

Like me… _thought Nyra absentmindedly._

"_Cydan!" called Cyrano, "Flikka! Come! We will begin branching!"_

_The two smallest owlets looked up at their father, but before they could approach him, another owl burst into the hollow. It was a huge Great Grey._

"_What is it, Twilight?" asked Cyrano calmly._

Twilight? _thought Nyra, _Mother told me that he was responsible for a huge part of the first downfall of the Pure Ones!

"_We know that you're a slipgizzle for the Poisoned Talons!" screeched Twilight, "There's no trying to hide it from me!"_

"_So what if I am?" hissed Cyrano, "Do I not have the right to seek revenge on the owls that tried and almost succeeded to kill our organization?"_

"_We did not try to bring down the Poisoned Talons! It was another organization that we do not know about!" said Twilight loudly._

"_Prove it!" the Screech shot back._

"_Out! Leave the Great Tree immediately!"_

"_Did you have King Coryn's approval?"_

Coryn… _thought Nyra, _That… that's my half-brother, as well as Echo's father!

"_I don't need his approval! I am the one that takes care of the spies and the slipgizzles that try to infiltrate the Tree!" screeched Twilight._

"_Very well," growled Cyrano, "Marigold, please take Flikka in your talons. I will take Cydan. Jarren, Sleeq, Natanya! Come!"_

_With those words, he left the Tree. Once again, Nyra automatically followed. They reappeared at another hollow further away. It was in Silverveil. The five owlets were huddled against Cyrano, who seemed to be weeping next to the form of Marigold._

"_She's gone, isn't she, Da?" whispered the littlest owlet._

"_Yes… she's gone, Flikka…" whispered Cyrano._

_Nyra viewed Cyrano's past day by day, and even felt the harsh cold of rotten tree stump of a hollow. One by one, Nyra watched the owlets of the Screech who had saved her die. Finally, there was only the Tyto Alba remained. Cyrano looked different: less well-kept, like he did in present time._

_Finally, one day the little Barn Owl spoke:_

"_Father," asked the little Tyto Alba._

"_What is it now, Jarren?" growled Cyrano miserably._

"_Does the Great Tree have better medics than here?" asked Jarren._

"_Yes," replied Cyrano, "Why?"_

_Jarren's eyes turned cold. Very cold. He turned away from his father, fluffing up his feathers. In a bitter tone, he said:_

"_Then it's all your fault. They're all gone because of you. Flikka, Sleeq, Natanya, Cydan, and mother… It's your fault they are gone."_

"_What?" shreed his father, "What makes you say that? Show some respect for your father!"_

"_Fool," sneered Jarren, "If you hadn't gotten us kicked out of Ga'Hoole, this never would've happened. Goodbye, father, there is another owl out there that deserves me more than you."_

_With those words, he flew out of the hollow into the cold night. Cyrano stared after him in shock. With that, the Screech collapsed to the floor of the hollow._

_End Past Sight_

Nyra gasped as she backed away from Cyrano.

"D-did that actually happen?" she stammered.

Cyrano nodded weakly. "Please, Nyra, hear me out… I would like you to go to the Poisoned Talons base and take over for me. Inform them of all that has happened and lead them with pride."

Nyra nodded weakly. What else could she do?

"Get revenge on the Great Tree. And also…" muttered Cyrano, "Save Echo and Jade and take them to the base with you. I don't want Echo to be a Guardian of Ga'Hoole. He reminds of my son, Sleeq, and there is no freedom as an owl of the Great Tree. If he goes there, freedom will be taken away from him."

"B-but, what if it wasn't the Guardians of Ga'Hoole?" asked Nyra.

"It was not directly the Guardians, but the monstrosities of the owls that attacked us were Ga'Hoolians gone bad. It remains the Guardians' fault that those renegade owls attacked."

Nyra remained silent.

"Nyra, you will be a fantastic leader for the Poisoned Talons. You are like Natanya, my daughter, and from what I can see, you are a born leader, like she would've been," Cyrano's voice cracked at this, "If she had not died."

"But what are the Poisoned Talons? What do they do? Why were they attacked?" asked Nyra frantically. She did not want to be in charge of an organization of evil owls.

"That's the thing, Nyra," muttered Cyrano, "I don't know why we were attacked. We are just a group of… well… owls with different opinions on some things. There are many assumptions as to why we were attacked. Perhaps it is because we are allied to what some owls consider to be terrible foes: the race of the felines and the race of the snakes. Or maybe because owls of slightly different species, like Lesser Sooty Owls and Greater Sooty Owls, are allowed to become mates."

Nyra blinked in surprise.

"I am an Eastern Screech Owl. Marigold was a Western Screech Owl," explained Cyrano, "But there is a possibility that we were attacked because of our different way to do things, for example, blacksmithing. Our method of colliering is the same, but to add extra force to battle claws, we have snakes inject venom into a little opening in the battle claws, not touching our talons of course, and fight with those. The Ga'Hoolians regard this as wrong, but we classify the claws depending on the force of the poison. The deadly poison is reserved for battles against our worst enemies, St. Aggies. The poison we use most of the time is a mild sleeping poison, and we only let owls that have willingly chosen to be part of our battalion, and the most highly ranked, to be allowed to carry our most deadly claws."

Nyra was amazed by the complexity of the Poisoned Talons. She nodded slowly.

"Thank you…" whispered the Screech. With one last shudder, the Screech lay still.

Nyra backed away slowly.

"I… I'm too late… forgive me…" whispered a voice behind her. Nyra spun around and came face to face with another Tyto Alba.

"Wh-who are you?" asked Nyra.

"My name," said the Tyto, "Is Jarren."

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A/N: Don't hurt me. Give me ideas please, for both this fic and my Warriors fic, The Second Chance. Don't flame me for the similarity between Coryn and Nyra with the whole "Fire Sight" and "Past Sight" thing. No flames please, once again. Only nice reviews. It makes me happy, and I'll probably update faster. Thanks!


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